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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL.. XI. 



The Ambassador took his departure the same evening, 

 as hastily as he had arrived, only remaining a sufficient time 

 for Governor Pyl to have a secret interview with him. 



The Secretary stated that if the Company earnestly 

 desired peace, it must first evacuate all the lands taken 

 since the insurrection of 1665, and the ports must be declared 

 free as formerly, as the closing of them made the King more 

 a prisoner than a free sovereign prince, besides causing the 

 complaints of the common people to the effect that the 

 Company grasped at everything and gave no one else a 

 chance. He exaggerated the convenience and advantages to> 

 the Singalese, if the ports were free not only with respect to* 

 arecanut and cloth trade, but also with respect to the King's 

 taxes, &c. He added that the King and the Court were 

 very much offended at the closing of the ports, declaring 

 that the Portuguese had never committed that outrage. 



Wherefore the Court demanded that all this should be 

 done, as they were sure that it was so ordered from Batavia,. 

 appealing to the letter from their Excellencies at Batavia to 

 the late King, recommending the evacuation in favour of 

 His Majesty of all lands and strongholds taken possession 

 of since 1665, and that in it was also included the opening 

 of the ports to every one as they were formerly. 



Whereupon this Ambassador was publicly and in presence 

 of the Council informed that the lands claimed had been 

 offered to His Majesty long since, but that no one had appeared 

 from the Court to take them over, much less had orders been 

 given from that quarter for their transfer ; and that it would 

 have been rather disparaging to the Company had they 

 abandoned them so quietly ; whilst it was clear that the letter 

 from their Excellencies alluded only to the lands seized. 



Governor Pyl afterwards had a private conference with 

 the Ambassador, who hinted that the lands should be quietly 

 evacuated, while the Governor gave many weighty reasons 

 against the opening of the ports, the principal reason being 

 that this could not be accorded without special orders from 

 Batavia ; also that the Moors would be the chief frequenters 



